This invention relates to apparatus for setting steps into the wall of a precast concrete riser.
Many concrete pipe sections requiring steps are now being fabricated in packerhead machines wherein the section is cast in an upright position inside a removable sleeve or jacket. The jacket provides a contoured form against which the pipe is cast and a support for holding the green concrete section in place as it is drying.
Heretofore, when steps were required to be placed in a precast section, a worker generally had to climb down into the section and either stake steps into the inner wall of the section by hand or, alternatively, form step receiving holes in the green concrete before it dried. Hand setting of the steps or step receiving holes is oftentimes an unsatisfactory operation. The worker, as he enters and exits the section can physically displace concrete from the riser thus damaging the structure. By the same token, hand set steps can also be easily misaligned during assembly whereupon the steps may become loosened and/or create a latent safety problem.